230: School Shopping: Phase One

I took the boys school shopping today–which mainly meant getting some shoes. (We also made one more stop for a couple pairs of pants and t-shirts since neither of the boys has been school shopping for a couple years, but that wasn't nearly as interesting as shoes and it was torture trying to get them to try anything on.) So mostly the first part of the afternoon was like this picture: Lex a bit crazy and completely indecisive about the 15 pairs of red shoes he was trying on while Zoran was exasperated by Lex's slow pace and lack of civility. (Lex is the most particular person I know when it come to clothes.)  Then we took a break and went to a movie. Afterwards, Zoran had a breakdown because I wouldn't buy him basketball cards and he'd forgotten his money and couldn't buy them himself. So he made us miserable the last hour or so since his life was clearly awful. But, they're both ready to go and school doesn't even start for a few more weeks!

214: Second place at the 3 on 3!

Zoran, Bryce, their friend Carmine (and Lex as their sub!) were the runners up at the Ronan basketball tournament this weekend. Their other friends were out of town,  so second place was not too shabby for having a 6-year-old fill in!

191: facepaint makes daily chores more interesting

Or it's just another way to avoid them completely. 

I came home from the store today and found Lex and Azia sitting at a little table of the middle of the kitchen painting each other's faces. The kitchen wasn't very clean, but they sure looked festive.

101: after school boys' club

91: haircuts

Finally.

We might even follow up the haircuts with showers. For two boys that are crazy OCD about somethings, they really often look like orphans.

75: studious

Every single day he wakes up grumpy when he has to go to school. He counts down days till his weekend and then counts down again each weekend, checking off the days till he has to go back to school again.

For the past three days he gets up before everyone, gets out his pens and paper, and starts writing and drawing. He is busy till I make him stop for breakfast.

Sometimes I wish we could just stay on vacation forever...where we would keep ourselves busy all day long reading and writing and learning new things.

65: Lex explores Facebook

I created Lex & Zayda Facebook accounts just so it would keep all the photos and comments people post about them sorted into one place. (That maybe I'll at some point download. Or not. But it's as close to journaling or scrapbooking as they get at this point.) I didn't actually add any friends for them or anything, but Lex actually can read a little and sometimes likes to highjack his siblings' pages so he wanted to check it his page once his cousins told him they wanted to add him. I doubt he'll actually get any real facebook time for a few years (beyond looking at family pictures on my account) but he did feel pretty important sorting through his friend requests to add people.

53: tending to the birds

Gwen gave Lex the job of taking care of her birds while they are in California. I'm not sure why you would put Lex in charge of small, harmless little birds, but apparently they're planning a trip to Washington D.C. together so Lex needs to start saving some money. I think he may earn about $5 by the end of the week for this job, so he better line up some more work.

50: morning dash

Zoran and Lex running to school. Again.  This has been my elusive goal all year: both boys on time, in clean clothes that they like, happy, with zero yelling or pouting in the process. We make it sometimes. (Most days, actually.) Surprisingly, this arrival in a good mood all depends very little on when they get up and mostly upon how the morning unfolds.  I decided happy and ready to start the day trumps on being on time, so we've been late more than ever before. This stresses me out some, but not nearly as much have having a pair of boys who start off their mornings hating the world.

16: Playground Walk-a-Thon

Zoran doesn't walk very often when he can run...especially when someone's keeping track of how many laps you can finish!

The elementary kids have been collecting pledges over the last week to add to (or basically start) a fund for a new playground. I hope they'll be able to raise the money somewhat quickly--our playground is basically a fenced area with only a couple little worn-out pieces of equipment. We don't even have a city park in town, so it would really be nice for the kids to have a nice place to play.

9: Basketball Boys

Israel was working and Dev and Zoran took Azia to softball tonight, so after work it was just Lex, Zayda and me at the basketball game. Even though I didn't have Zayda for any of the game (she was off visiting) I didn't really take any pictures of the actual game. I spent the whole time with other babies and little 6-year-old boys. It was a pretty good way to end a really long work week. (Yay! No driving into work on Friday!)

The actual basketball is only part of what I like about the games.

5: Recyclers

Mom and Dad are cleaning up their little rental house and Azia & Jenna and the boys are cleaning out the cans from the garbage pile behind it. They'll surely have hundreds of dollars once they get the whole huge mountain of them hauled out and recycled. Or about 27 cents a piece.

Back to School! (Yes, I Know that was Last Month!)

So I finally got around to getting my boys back-to-school haircuts the other night (and by "getting haircuts" I mean I just took the clippers and shaved everything off) and remembered I never posted the first day of school pictures. This is because I am still not quite organized enough or ready for school to start. I realize the kids have been back for weeks now, but I am finally realizing I probably won't ever feel totally organized or ready for anything again, or at least not while I have five kids at home, a full time job, and this collection of other things I volunteer to do. So, now I'm just working on keeping a majority of my kids and myself mostly sane while we move through the world in this disorganized, haphazard way, trails of markers and notebooks, sports equipment, and mismatched shoes behind us. 

But, we're back to school, all of us now, and so far so good.

This year my kids were all excited to go back. This is the first time ever. I'm hoping the excitement (or at least the acceptance) sticks around a few months. It was so nice not to have them dreading going back.

Israel isn't a freshman anymore. I'd imagine that's a good thing if you're a high school guy, though he had a pretty good year last year (well socially at least, academically we've got some room to improve) so maybe it's not such a big deal. He's been obsessed with James Dean the last month or so, he's been preparing this brooding look and pompadour hair for the first day back.

And actually the brooding look is really just total annoyance with me. Since I made him take pictures before school, he was late. And by late I mean he was only 45 minutes early rather than a full hour. I don't understand this need to be at school so early. He explained to me again that he liked hanging out with his friends and socializing and starting his day in that pleasant way rather than going right into the unpleasantness of classes.  I suppose it does make sense knowing Israel. Having to socialize for an hour would be more work and more unpleasant for me than just sitting in class. It would definitely be less pleasant than another hour of sleep. Of course Israel is approximately 117 times more social than me.

Azia started middle school. I thought she would be nervous (and I'm sure she was a little bit) but mostly she's just been really excited for all the new things that come with the new school, among them: a locker, the volleyball team, and picking out an instrument so she can start band. She has a great group of friends, and they're all pretty excited too. Of course it's a gang of increasingly hormonal, nearly-teenage girls, so I'm sure there is a bit of drama and a few tears in our future too, but I'm hoping it will be drowned out by their constant, upbeat chattering, the loud cheering for each other at volleyball games, and even the awkward, nonrhythmic-6th-grade band performances. (And while I'm sure trombones and drums and saxophones are all great, I've already been thankful a few times she chose the flute and Jenna the clarinet. . .  their practice sessions have been completely bearable so far.)

Zoran told me multiple times he was excited about school this year. (This has never happened.) He was a little sad none of his really good friends were in his class, but not too sad because he knows and really likes his teacher AND they get real desks this year. I didn't realize what a big deal this was, but he brought up the desk thing more than a few times.  I can see Zoran liking the idea of having his own space to arrange and keep track of things.

After the first few days he came home even more excited about everything going on in class, and rather than missing his handful of favorite friends to hang out with, he was really excited about two new boys– one who was actually an old friend but who had moved back this year and another new kid that he was having fun getting to know.

Lex has been really excited about school all summer. This seems strange to most people because he seems like such a wild man, but I think that is just because he is so determined to do things exactly his way. (And he enjoys things that are a bit more wild than some other kids his age.) He actually loved the academic parts of preschool last year, and is very particular about rules and getting things right. He is more interested in the learning and completing assignments end of school than any of my other kids have ever been. I'm hoping at least a little of that survives kindergarten.

So, they're all off, and this would have been the first time in a decade and a half I didn't have preschool kids to work with around my work schedule. But, what fun would that be?  Now Zayda and I get to sort out our schedules together for the next five years or so. 

She gets to join the back to school photos even if she isn't going anywhere.

The first day is always a little hectic since, like all other mornings, we have a half dozen people all headed in different directions at different times. But, at least for the first day we try to overlap schedules a little bit so I can see everyone (or at least see them all off) and stop by the school with the younger ones. That works somewhat, but I'm pretty glad the days after the first one are a bit less crazy.

Notice Zoran's close watch on his brother. This baby holding by Lex was not approved by big brother.

Israel had enough of the pictures and drove away. This driving to school was not approved by his mother.

After he saw Israel leave Lex had enough pictures and asked, "Can't we just go to school like normal people?"

He clearly didn't see facebook that morning where nearly everyone we know had first day pictures. This first-day-picture taking thing in clearly what normal people around here do.

I did feel a little bad about not getting some new shoes or backpacks or outfits that clearly indicated it was the first day for our pictures. But even if new shoes and backpacks and school supplies would have made for better photo ops, I think the kids will survive without them.

Olivia and Azia off to middle school

Azia is excited about band this year. She's decided to play the flute and we found a pretty cheap green one that her teacher said would work fine for beginning band. Since we didn't buy new bags I updated the kids' backpacks with patches. It's not quite like a new backpack but it made them a little more excited.

Zoran really wanted to take  his little sister with him. I think she is going to be lonely without all her siblings.

And we did buy these sorts of school supplies--We had 6-7 bags full of communal classroom school supplies. Enough Kleenex for many classrooms of sniffling children and enough glue sticks to stick all sorts of things together.

It was Lex's first day and a new school and his first day of the school year. He's pretty ready for kindergarten. He wanted me to check out his classroom with him first thing in the morning, but he was fine with me leaving once they got class started.

Finding his name and hook to hang his backpack.

Buddies having a first day breakfast together. Their first day in the lunchroom: Lex, James, Gunnar

A story to start the day. I felt bad for Lex's teacher. She had a few kids who were having a hard time with the school thing. A couple were crying as parents were leaving. One of the was crying again (still?) when I picked him up after school. Lex was just annoyed a little girl was clearly sitting on his name on the carpet. :)

Once I dropped the kids off I went home and realized it was quiet. Quiet and still for probably the first time since .  . .  maybe sometime in May?

I  put Zayda on the floor beside me and got out my laptop to work. She pretty quickly drifted off to sleep.

She's still so small but each day a little less so. I know it won't be long till she's off to school, too.

The day before the kids headed back this year we took Azia to get her physical. I overheard Zoran telling her he didn't need one for any of his sports and wouldn't need one for a long time. Azia explained, "You just wait, Zoran.  You'll be suprised how fast the time goes by."

I don't remember realizing that when I was that young, but I'm sure aware of it now. It all goes so very fast.

250: Piglet Plunge!

Gwen and Lex making their way through one of the obstacles

This is such a fun race. I've done it with a big group of friends the past couple years.  The first year it wasn't organized by the big national company that does all the Dirty Dashes--just a local group. It was a far different sort of race (twice as long, up the ski hill with less mud) so it was a different kind of fun than this. The Dirty Dash is totally non-competitive and much more a mud-filled, fun obstacle course than a run.

Unfortunately it's really expensive and this year I couldn't really justify putting $60 on the credit card for an hour or so of my own entertainment when I haven't even had money for food all month. But, I thought it was pretty cool my kids saved their own money to pay their entry fees (the kids' Piglet Plunge costs $20 rather than the $55+ fees for the Dirty Dash). I love that they'd spend their own money on something fun and active like this.

(Lex, although, did not earn much money this summer and would likely not have saved any if he had. He also was not planning to run the race. . . until he suddenly started running the race all by himself. . . typical Lex approach to things. I started following him--because he wasn't interested in running with me at that point--he seemed to have his own agenda. He did pretty quickly catch up to Gwen and the other kids running.)

247: hanging out after school

They're still excited about this school thing.  I noticed today they aren't actually doing any school work in their after school study time--mainly they seem to be writing notes and coloring pictures. But they're talking positively about school while they do it. That's progress.

Next week we're going to actually start doing the school work. Hopefully.

243: Plains Fair

I took the younger kids to the fair. I was feeling sort of irresponsible about it since I don't even have money for school clothes or new backpacks or even groceries. I got paid for a photo job and then instead of getting any of those things I spent the whole check on an evening at the fair. I don't even like the fair, but my kids do and it seemed a good end-of-summer evening since a bunch of their friends and cousins were also going.

Of course I did ask the kids if they'd rather have groceries or go to the fair and they voted for the fair. They're all over age five now. I'm sure that's old enough to make decisions like this, so I probably shouldn't feel bad about it.

240: Another FIrst Day

It is becoming increasingly difficult to get them all to stay in one place for a few minutes before school, or actually it's even difficult find (or make) a few minutes where their schedules overlap and they're all at home at dressed at the same time these days, even on the first day.

But I'm going to keep making them do it at least once a year anyway. These are the sorts of posed and awkward photos that I know we'll all want in twenty years. Or maybe even next year. It's fun (and somehow also sad at the same time) to see how quickly everyone changes.

234: Griz Encounter (which is way more fun than school shopping)

Zoran and Lex getting autographs.

I was going to take the boys down to Missoula to get some school supplies (since we've done none of that sort of thing yet) and I thought we'd stop by the Griz Encounter for a little bit first so they could see the football team and hang out for a little while. We pretty much just stayed there all evening. Apparently an entire college football team, friends from home, dozens of food vendors, and music is more fun than getting some paper and pencils. Who would have guessed?

I'm glad my kids don't care too much about new school things. I don't usually buy much: some shoes (because for some reason they all love shoes even though they rarely wear them?), maybe a new shirt or two for those that need them at that point, and whatever their teachers request for supplies. This year I was a little annoyed because most of them actually do need some clothes and I don't have money to buy anything. Of course really they don't need anything. And it doesn't matter that much if they get some pants two weeks from now rather than for the first day, but it is nice to get a few things so they're a little more excited about starting the new year.

But, Israel came home with a bag of stuff he bought at the local thrift shop the other day on the way home from football practice and told me he was pretty much done with whatever shopping he needed to do, though he thought at some point he should get a coat before it got cold. Azia said she didn't really need anything because she got a big bag of hand-me-downs from her friend Sophia last month. My two little boys have been obsessed with looking up different styles and colors and types of (mostly expensive) shoes online for the last couple weeks, but then they each found an $11 pair during the one stop we made on the way home tonight and they are super excited about that. They believe they are totally set for school. I need to gather those paper and pencils to stuff in their backpacks, and I think we're ready.

So I guess that means I can spend the money when I finally do get paid in a few weeks on school supplies for me? I really would like a new outfit or two. . . maybe some shoes, too. Apparently I'm much more materialistic than my children.

229: Saturday evening sunshine

Lex & Lettie exploring

228: Swim Lessons Complete

As a part of his ongoing approach to life where he never does anything except his own way and in his own time, Lex has not allowed me to teach him to swim. This has been really bothersome to me because we are around water so often. Besides wanting my kids to enjoy swimming, I want them to be safe around water. All the rest were open to learning basic floating, diving, moving through the water sort of skills. Lex wouldn't cooperate at all. I even talked to him about doing swim lessons with someone else last year, and he wasn't interested. He just told me he already knew how to swim. (A total lie.) I wasn't going to waste the money to try to get him to participate in something he was so adamant against. I also didn't want to fight about it because he has been nervous about having his head anywhere near water since he was an infant.  I only washed his hair approximately five times in the first two years of his life because each time I did it it traumatized both of us. So, I didn't push the swimming things; I don't want him to dislike or be afraid of the water.

His preschool teacher this year teaches swim lessons in the summer and he finally agreed to do it. He was even a little bit excited about it, because this summer he actually wants to keep up with the older boys and all their water adventures and he can't quite do it. After the first day he wasn't too enthusiastic about going back because they had to practice putting their faces in the water. He did though. And although he was still a bit hesitant about the strokes and skills that involve that, he made a lot of progress. I like that his teacher also focused a lot on water safety, too. He likes learning things like that and he does remember and follow that sort of instruction. (When it isn't coming from me.)